Keep It Simple: Versatile Framing Systems Are One Way to Meet Broad Demands
By John Ryba
Door and window manufacturers have a lot to deal with these days. Whether it’s supply chain challenges, labor shortages or being sure you’re leveraging the right technology and equipment, keeping operations running smoothly isn’t always easy. That’s not to mention the importance of meeting a variety of customer demands.
In today’s marketplace, door and window consumers have options—from basic, no-frills choices, to high-end, custom designs. Your customers (and potential customers) may be looking for “just a window” or something much more—sometimes both. To deliver, manufacturers must strategically manage their SKUs while streamlining the production processes and raw materials that go into making them.
There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but one of the most effective approaches is in selecting a window framing system with the versatility to accommodate multiple components and technologies.
Multiple Demands, One System
Let’s assume you’re exploring the potential of broadening your vinyl window offerings. (We’ll keep our discussion exclusive to vinyl, given it’s by far the most popular consumer choice in today’s marketplace.) There are a few ways to do this. You could explore sourcing different profile systems based on the needs of each tier in your desired product line. This can be effective, but may involve introducing additional complexity into your production processes. Every new profile requires specific assembly knowledge and, in some cases, different equipment (more on this a bit later). To be sure, there are cases in which sourcing a different profile than your baseline product offerings will be necessary—for example, impact-rated framing for a hurricane system.
But a more effective strategy can involve pairing one high-quality framing system with other system tweaks made elsewhere. Selecting a high-quality baseline system can have the dual benefit of setting a high-performance ceiling for your entire product line while accommodating modifications. An example of this is tiering your product line by modifying the glass package with different spacer systems or low-E coatings. Your top-tier product (say, an Energy Star 7-rated window) may be foam filled with a glass package that includes top-end spacer and multiple low-E coatings. Your baseline window, meanwhile, may use fewer low-E coatings and lack foam filling.
By making these tweaks to your glass package rather than your entire system, it’s possible to get four or five different SKUs with the same framing system. Maximizing the potential of one high-quality framing system can further simplify your production operations. For example, your line workers won’t have to worry about different framing systems coming down the line for multiple end products; they won’t need to worry about changing fixtures or using different equipment when the bulk of your product-to-product distinctions are happening in the glass package. Practically speaking, your operators essentially are working with the same window system across multiple different products. In an era when good labor is hard to find, such a strategy can help ensure consistent quality across your finished products.
Door and window manufacturers today must use every tool at their disposal to remain successful, deliver on customer demands and create meaningful new value. Evaluating your framing system strategy across your product tiers and making optimized changes is one way to do it effectively.
John Ryba is technical services manager for Quanex Corp.
john.ryba@quanex.com
To view the laid-in version of this issue in our digital edition, CLICK HERE.